1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for printing adhesive labels with information specific to the produce item to be labeled and applying the labels to that produce item by a vacuum/air burst system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of labelling and object sorting apparatus and methods have been disclosed. The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference:
1. Patent application, entitled "Object Sorter and Sizer," applicant Roger Blood, filed on Feb. 20, 1998, patent application Ser. No. 09/027,489. PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,941. PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,337 PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,586 PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,360 PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,680 PA1 7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,302 PA1 8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,063 PA1 9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,001 PA1 10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,676 PA1 11. U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,057 PA1 12. U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,228 PA1 13. U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,725 PA1 14. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,648 PA1 15. U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,211 PA1 16. U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,714 PA1 17. U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,747 PA1 18. U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,416 PA1 19. European Patent Application No. EP 0 113 256 A2
Generally, in a conventional produce labeller, pre-printed labels are used requiring one to order in advance labels for different varieties of produce, such as fruits and vegetables. There are as many as 60 or 70 varieties of some fruits. The labels usually are printed before the produce season begins each year. Quantities of labels to be printed are based on a rough estimate of the type of produce that would be available in that given year. However, the necessary quantities of pre-printed labels for each variety of produce are difficult to predict. Thus, for example, on must guess how many large red delicious apple labels or how many small red delicious apple labels would be needed. Conventional produce labellers require ordering and buying these pre-printed labels whether or not they are eventually used. One must also estimate minimum quantities of pre-printed labels which might be required. Often these estimates are inaccurate resulting in a waste of the labels. Further label waste results from the practice of ordering more labels than the anticipated requirement in order to avoid label shortages if additional fruit requires packing.